Improvement in water-meters



@eine tetra g3-attent @ffice 'JOHN TAGGART, or ROXBURY, ASSIGNOR To HIMSELF AND DANIEL o.

` HOLDER, or DORCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letter-s Patent No. 74,254, dated February 11,1868.

. IMPROVEMENT 1N WATER-METERS.

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TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME:

Be itz-known that 1,.JonN Ta'eonna, of Roxbury, in the county of Norfolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Water-Meter; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following-specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 denotes a vertical section, and

Figure2'atransvcrse`section of it.

Figure ,3 is a front view of its registering-mechanism. I A

In such drawings, A denotes a cylindrical case, having a shaft, B, arranged axially in it, and extending through it, and another and separate cylindrical case, C, innhich is placed the registering-apparatus, to be here" inafter described. Besides the two cases A C, is a narrow air-vessel or'chamber, D,'semicircular in form, it 4being arranged against one -side of the case A, and provided with one vor more openings, 4a a a, which lead from such air-vessel into the case A, and :it or just above the horizontal diameter thereof, the same being as shown in tig. 1. Within the case A is a series of floats, d d, &c., -which radiate at equal distances apart from a. hub, b, xed on and concentrically with the shaft B. The hub and its oats constitute a. fiutter or undershot water-wheel, which extends from `one end or head to the other of the case C. Each Hoat projects from the artis of the shaft a like distance, that is to say, the extension should be such as to cause the iioats, while revolving against the lower half of the inner periphery of the case A, to touch/or approach the. same as nearly as possiblet The uppe'rhalf of the rim of the case, or that part which is above the openings a a, is recessed, as shown at c `c, in order that the wheel, while revolving by such part, may not touch it. Below the horizontal diameter ot' the cn-se A- sneh case is furnished with an induction-passage, e, and an eduction-passage,f, they being arranged in such case, and n'ith'res'p'ect to the wheel, in manner as'represented in tig. 1. The direction of revolution of the wheel isindicated by the arrow g.

The case A, provided with the wheel and air-chamber, as described, is' tobe applied to a water-conduit, so that water carried thereby may flow under :t head orpressure into the case and through the inductiornopening e, and ont of the case by the opcningf.v The consequence of this flowage of the water through the case, will bc that the wheel will be put in revolution, and the water will stand within the case'and its air-chamber at a level, :t little above the openings a a, the air within the chamber being compressed more or less in accordance with the degree of 'pressure or head of water. The arrangement of the induction ai'idfdischarge-opcnings of Athe case A, with respect to the floats o' the wheel, is such that, while the said wheel maybe in revolution, there will be at least one of the floats between sucli openings.

The air-chamber is found to render the meter much more certain, as a nneasurer of the amount of water which may flow through it in any given period, and tooperate to much better advantage than it will'without such chamber. Y

The register-iig-apparatus is to determine the number of revolutions made by the wheel, each revolution of it being supposed to indicate the discharge from the case of a determinate quantity of fluid-or fractional portion of n. gallon, Cubic foot, or other amount taken as a unit of measure.

A series of rntchets, 1, 2, 3, 4t, 5, 6, is arranged within the case A, and on separate and stationary aies, z', dc., eaclrrntchet being free to revolve on its axis` Each ratchet-I usually make with fifty teeth, but do not confine my inventioif to such number, there being divisions and numbers marked on the face ofthe ratcheti On that part'ot' the shaft B which extends into the case C, is zt cam or wiper, c, which, during each revo= lution of the shaft, will be forced against and made to pass bya spring-lever pawl or click, l, Whose longer ami is a curved spring, whose free endibcnrs against the periphery ofthe ratchet 1. This pressure against th pawl tends to straighten the pawl, and thereby cause it to turn the ratchet through an are measured by one of its teeth. 'lhe inherent elastic force of the Ilexile arm of the pawl causes auch arm to slip back on the ratchet, after each movement of the ratchet und each movement of the cam away from the iniiexile arm of the pawl.

There is, to the next and each succeeding ratchet, another such spring-lever pawl, these pawls and their arrangements with the rntchcts being shown at 1n n op g. The inilexile arm of each pawl turns freely on a, centre-pin or fulcrum, shown at r, as projecting `from one side of the case C. Furthermore, there projects from each ofthe ratchets, except the last one of the series, a small stud, s, which, at the proper time, is carried by the ratchet around against the operatiw paivl of the vnext ratchet, and actuates it in the same' manner as the lever-pawl-Z operates the ratchet 1f A stellnted index-plate, F,having an index-point, t, for each of the ratchets, and being fastened to the case C, and arranged within it and with respect to the ratchets, in manner as represented inthe drawings, serves to indicate each entire or a partial revolution of each of the ratchets. l

Nowgifl the rst ratchethave fifty teeth, and it is revolved once during -the passage of fifty'cubic feet of water Athrough the meter, it will measure from. one to fifty cubic feet. As each entrerevolution of each ratchet will movev through the next one in advance one tooth, supposing each to have fifty teeth, the entire revolution of the second ratchet will show that twenty-five hundred cubic feet of water will have passed through the meter." Each entire revolution of each ratchet 'will exhibit iifty timesthe measure represented byione revolution of the next preceding ratchet. I,

I am aware that this registering-apparatus is somewhat analogous to what is employed in gas-meters, but in the use of spring-levers, and the cams or studs applied to the wheel-shaft and the rtchets, and made to operate and he operated in manner as described, as my registering-apparatus,.differs from others.

This meter has been found in practice to be very eicient Vin its operations and correct in measurement, Its simplicity of construction enables it to be made at a very small price, and renders-it lnot'lable to easily'gct out of order or be deranged while in action. I l

The arrangement of the air-chamber between the cases A C causes one side or' one head of one case common to it and the air-chamber, and disposes of the air-chamber to good advantage. 'Y

What I claim as my invention is as follows: v i

' I claim the improved meter, consisting ofthecase, with its induction and eductionpassages, and the wheel@l arranged ais specied, and the air-chamber or vessel to open into the case, as set forth. i

I also claim the arrangementl of the ar-chamber or vessel between the wheel-case andatho case of the?v registering-mechanism. l I also claim the combination for actuating each ofthe ratchets, the same consisting not:I only of a cam or" stud applied to a rotary shaft or to a ratchet, but of a. lever formed with an inilexile arm, and the other: iexile or bowedspring, to operate as set forth. l l I also claim the combination and arrangement of thestellated indicator F with the'case C, and the series of ratchets o r rotary "measuring-wheels, arranged within 'the case, and provided with 'mechanism for operating them, substantially as described.

JOHN VTAGGART.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY,

F. P.-HALB,.Jr. 

